BARRE — A well-contoured ceramic pig altered Quabbin Regional High School junior Rachel Perry's opinion of what she can do.

Eschewing the buzz and trouble of an increasingly sophisticated and omnipresent scholastic project involving computers and the Internet, Miss Perry, 16, used only her hands and mind to create something that astounded her teacher and that no Quabbin student had accomplished in 20 years.

Her 6-inch-long-by-3-inch-high ceramic sculpture "The Piggy Bank" owes more to her love of that animal, and always wanting a pet hog, rather than any previously recognized artistry, she said in a recent interview.

"If I had a pig pet, I would call it Mr. Bacon," she said.

Ms. Perry's ceramic piece was on display at Carnegie Hall earlier this year — when she was a sophomore.

And a photograph of "The Piggy Bank" appeared in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 2013 National Catalog.

"The Piggy Bank" also was featured on the national art and writing organization's promotion poster sent to thousands of American high schools.

Founded in 1923, the New York City-based organization strives to identify "the early promise of some of our nation's most exceptional visionaries," the organization said.

Her accomplishment also won plaudits locally.

"Rachel's piggy bank is spectacular! It is beautifully crafted and constructed, and her finishing technique is the best I've seen in the 10 years that I've been teaching at Quabbin," said Quabbin art teacher William Simon.

"Out of the 1,930 national medals that were awarded for writing and artwork, 15 pieces were chosen for the poster which included Rachel's work, which is quite an honor. Rachel is the first student to win a gold medal at the national level in almost 20 years at Quabbin," he said.

Asked about the awards and recognition, Ms, Perry said, "I never really thought about college before. Before this, I never really wanted a future with art. It was a confidence boost getting an award," she said. "Everybody compliments my art, but I never thought it was any good."

Ms. Perry resides in Hardwick with her parents, Wayne and Jean Perry. She has four siblings.

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